Wanting to write that great SF or Fantasy novel but feel you'll never get it published? io9 has an informative (and inspirational) look at 15 classic sf and fantasy novels that were rejected by publishers.
A little something to keep you going!
Are You Designing For A Maximum Audience?
I used to have a tradition in my programming days, of going to the Interface Hall of Shame (now quite out of date http://homepage.mac.com/bradster/iarchitect/) to find out the latest things not to do. And yes, as you guessed, my programming days were quite awhile ago.
Anyway, to get away from my age to the subject, one of the things I learned as a programmer was that designing a good interface was not obvious. Most people designed interfaces with . . . well I'm not sure what they had in *mind* since thinking was not often part of the process. Let's just say I saw some bad stuff.
News of the Day 10/18/2010
Some helpful guides to Fraudclosure, a deeper look at IBM, and Apple goes back to the Mac. It's must-know geek news!
Career:
LinkedIn just added skills, publications, and patents to its profiling. They've certainly been doing a lot lately to add more to their service, and more power to them. Now . . . looks like I have to update my profile.
Economics/Geekonomics:
Tired of Fraudclosure news? Sorry, it's going to be a big deal so we'll keep you informed from a progeek viewpoint:
- Keep up on the whole mess, with this handy Washington Post look and Part 1 of a look at how this mess works.
- some bribery involved in Florida Foreclosure Firm. – Even if this is small, it's the kind of thing that gets more public attention
- Bank of America resumes foreclosures already. I'm with Yves here, not much got answered. I expect it'll stop again at some point when more hits the fan.
Film:
Disney moves Marvel films under Paramount to itself. No surprise here. Paramount still gets something out of the deal, but let's be honest – this was inevitable.
Media:
MUST READ: Where are you going to find digital innovation in news? Sports departments. Some thoughtful analysis that makes this a must read – it'll give you ideas of what does, and doesn't fit in the internet media age.
Social Media:
Two House members are asking Facebook for information regarding privacy. I'm sure the recent breaches aren't just part of it – "The Social Network" is as well. I don't know if this is meaningful or a pre-election stunt or what, but i tears watching.
Buddy Media raises $23 million. They provide a social media management system focused on Facebook. That's pretty neat – an they've got other offerings. Frankly this is the kind of thing needed in the complex world of social media, so more power to them, and they might be resume worthy.
Technology:
Hmmmm. IBM Stock drops on decline in service signing. Interesting – could these drops explain part of IBM's goals to . . . well basically buy anything technical in Massachusetts? Certainly looks like the goal is more acquisitions and more software sales, and with that amount of change, probably job opportunities – and a large company like IBM can crush competitors as well.
Sounds like Apple want's to return focus to the Mac for awhile. This sounds like a good strategy – Apple's computers have been doing quite well, but they have focused on other devices for awhile. Again, Apple seems to truly get their audience. They're also doing well financially – note the increase in Mac Sales.
Video:
Brightcove hires a new CFO. Ups suspicion that the online video platform company is going to go public. I'd also say that means they may need your resume (OK the fact they raised nearly $100 million also helps a lot).
Apple TV? It apparently sold a quarter million units. I definitely think the $99 price point is a huge part of it. Heck I'm tempted to buy one just to play with it.
Video Games:
OK, we've been a bit more hypocritical about avoiding rumors lately, but here's another good one: Bethesda may be working on an MMO. The theory here is that it's Elder Scrolls, a property with a long and beloved history. I can buy that, but would note that Fallout did incredibly well, so an MMO for that might be popular. Either way, big name company, hiring, MMO, and one with name/brand recognition. Resume worthy as well?
Some changes at RockYou. Sounds like an overall shift.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Which would be the more successful MMO, Fallout or Elder Scrolls.
– Steven Savage